


The sea

by ca_te



Category: Death Note
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Gen Fic, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-06
Updated: 2010-09-06
Packaged: 2017-10-11 12:40:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/112498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ca_te/pseuds/ca_te
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written on 11 August 2009.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sabriel75](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabriel75/gifts).



> Written on 11 August 2009.

**Title**: The sea  
**Characters**: Matt, Near (hints of Mello/Near)  
**Rating**: G  
**Summary**: Near has never seen the sea. The first time Matt saw the sea it was with Mello.  
**Notes**: I'd like to dedicate this to

  
[](http://sabriel75.livejournal.com/profile)[**sabriel75**](http://sabriel75.livejournal.com/) 'cause I've read that you like fics with Matt and Near after Mello left.**  
****Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note or its characters   

  


"It's hard to tell the difference between sea and sky, between voyager and sea. Between reality and the workings of the heart."

[Murakami Haruki]

  
 

Near likes the sea. And it’s weird, ‘cause he has never seen the sea in his life. Things are like this for many children at Wammy’s. They learn many things, but they don’t see what they learn, they don’t touch what they learn. So Near knows everything about depths, extensions, fishes. He knows everything about the Mediterranean, the Pacific Ocean and more. But he has never bathed in the sea, he doesn’t know how it feels like to have salty water in his mouth or sand under his fingers and in his hair.

L, Mr Roger and Matt have bought him many books about the sea. Matt has given him a book of photos. Sometimes they seat together on Near’s bed and they look at them. Near is always distracted by Matt’s index pointing at some fish. Near thinks that is nice to lean against Matt, that it’s nice to imagine how it would feel to be touched by Matt’s fingers. They are not elegant like Mello’s but they are gentler. Sometimes Near is astonished by his desire to be touched.

He has actually never met his parents. He said his first words when he was already at Wammy’s. And neither Roger, nor L, were used to show their affection.

The first to touch Near was Mello. It was to hit him at the beginning, and even when the kisses came, Mello’s touches were rough, but they were warm and Near didn’t complain, not even once.

When Mello left, Matt bought Near that book. To make him smile. Near didn’t smile. But his cheeks reddened, and he was grateful. Matt imagined that Near’s smile must be something which could leave him speechless.

  
 

It’s Saturday. It has been two months since Mello left. Matt passes a hand through his hair as he looks at the sky. The morning is clear, it seems like it has been washed. Matt likes soap, ‘cause it smells like sweet, ‘cause Mello loved soaps, especially fruity ones. Matt thinks that Near always smells of soap, that kind of soap mums use with their children.

Matt looks at the lawns in front of the building. They shine in the light. He smiles thinking that it will be a great day.

The corridors are silent. It’s 11 o’ clock and many children and boys are already out, probably in Winchester. Saturday is the day of freedom, when Wammy’s orphans can fool themselves and imagine that they are just normal kids, nothing more.

Matt knocks at Near’s door, it opens silently. Near looks at Matt, he doesn’t smile but his eyes shine shyly, as the green grass outside.

\- C’mon, lets go!

Near rises an eyebrow, but he follows.

Matt counts the money in his pockets, he hopes they will be enough. He lets the sound of Near’s white pyjama fill his ears. He thinks that Near with a pair of shoes at his feet seems like a little lost animal. He walks slowly, as if he is moving his first paces. Matt feels the desire of holding Near’s hand.

The man at the “rent-a-car” shop looks at Matt and at the white, little boy at his side. Matt takes a drag from his cigarette, Near keeps his eyes down, he really doesn’t care about how a “rent-a-car” shop should be. He doesn’t ask Matt where they are going, he already knows that, but he remains silent. He has seen that look many times on Mello’s face, that desire to surprise someone. Near wishes Mello had been able to surprise him for real, he wishes he had been able to be dumb, so that Mello could have surprised him.

Near’s hair are like a cloud moving back and forth in the sky as the car speeds up. The engine seems to pour under Matt’s hands, as he changes the gear and follows the road smoothly. Near doesn’t know where to look, his eyes are not used to the blurring of trees and cars and signs all around them. He thinks that Matt sure drives fast. It’s not like he dislikes it particularly. The wind is not something he feels very often, spending most of his time inside, a puzzle in front of him or a plastic robot in his hands. Matt keeps his eyes on the road, feeling his body almost melting with the car. He learnt how to drive with Mello, just few months ago. They used Roger’s old car to practice, Roger knew he couldn’t deny it to them, they would have done it anyway. Matt soon discovered that cars were almost the same as video games for him.

Near has taken off his shoes. They are old, worn out sneakers.

\- Do you want me to slow down?

Matt has to rise his voice to go over the wind and the sound of the engine. There are little insects dead on the glass.

\- Don’t.

Near looks at his feet as Matt continues to follow the road.

Once Matt and Mello followed the same road, they were on a bus though. It was an old bus full of families, and then the two of them. It was hot and yet Mello ate his half-melted chocolate. It was the first time Matt saw the sea and Mello was the one who gave him that. Mello was like that with Matt, he wanted to give him everything he could, he wanted Matt to be always at his side. Matt liked the sea water, it seemed to him more solid than normal water.

As the silver plate of the sea appears behind a turn of the road, Matt smiles, he doesn’t look at Near, though.

The little albino keeps his eyes on that glimmering in front of them. He doesn’t talk, and if he wanted he wouldn’t know what to say. After so many years spent reading about something he didn’t see for real, having the sea in front of him seems almost out of place. Near wonders what will he feel once they will arrive there. Feelings are not something he knows how to deal with. He was astonished by the way Mello was able to live with them, every day facing hatred or love. Sometimes Near wonders if Mello loved him for real, if that's the case he would feel guilty, 'cause it would mean he had added more weight on Mello's shoulders.

Near wonders how much could the sea weight.

The wind fights with the red flames which Matt's hair are.

Matt follows a narrow path which leads down to the shore.

The sound of the car doors being closed fills the salty air.

-It seems we are the only ones here.

Near listens to sea gulls screaming out in the air.

-C'mon lets reach the shore!

Near lets Matt take his hand. He doesn't wear gloves today, his palms are soft and warm. Near knows that Matt held Mello's hand like that many times.

Matt smiles as Near stumbles on the sand. It's the first time his feet touch the sand. The red-head wants him to feel the sensation of the sand under his feet.

-Hey, Near, take them off!

The albino boy doesn't need to ask “what?”, he takes off his shoes and shivers at the sensation of the sand grains rubbing against his skin.

He takes a step and Matt follows, his boots in his hand. The sand is of a dark colour, the sound of the waves crawls in the air.

Near stops and Matt goes ahead, till the point where his bare feet are licked by the water. Near looks at the boy's back, it seems so frail in front of the glimmering of the sea.

He walks slowly towards the water, he stops at Matt's side and takes his hand, without saying a word. His feet tingle in the cold water.

-So...

Near waits for Matt to continue, he moves his feet over the wet sand.

-Do you like it?

Near looks at the line that the sea draws together with the sky. Far away from where they are standing right now. He squeezes Matt's hand a little bit more.

The water splashes around their ankles. Near thinks about Mello's white skin. Matt keeps his eyes focus on the white lines of foam. He is grateful to feel Near's skin on his own and to hear the soft sound the wind makes through Near's hair.

Near lowers his gaze on his and Matt's feet, trembling under the surface of the water.

-I do like it.

Matt thinks that Near's words seems feathers floating in front of him, so little that he is afraid to reach out and touch them.

-This is nothing like the book you bought me. Thank you.

It's weird to hear those words from Near's lips. Matt smiles, something warm in his throat.

He hopes that now Near will keep him by his side, like Mello did. Matt remembers the softness in Mello's eyes the day he brought him to the sea side.

  
 

He turns and look at Near. Their gazes meet. The wind plays with their hair and Matt gets lost in the beauty of the shy smile which trembles over Near's childish features.

Near looks at Matt and he thinks that if it feels like this to get to know things for real instead that through books, then he wants to explore the world with the smiling red-head standing at his side.

  



End file.
